Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are often produced from wells that penetrate hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean formations or portions thereof. Conventionally, a subterranean formation is prepared for the production of oil and/or gas therefrom by drilling a wellbore into the subterranean formation. During the drilling operation, a drilling fluid is circulated through the wellbore to remove cuttings and cool and lubricate the drilling apparatus. After the wellbore has been drilled to a preferred depth, it is common to complete the wellbore by cementing a casing string within the wellbore. Cementing is conventionally accomplished by pumping a cementitious composition into an annular space between the casing and wellbore walls and allowing the composition to set in place.
Further, completed, partially completed, and/or uncompleted wellbores are often serviced by stimulation operations to improve the recovery of hydrocarbons therefrom. Such stimulation operations include hydraulic fracturing operations, acidizing treatments, perforating operations, or the like. Stimulation operations often involve introducing various wellbore servicing fluids into at least some part of the subterranean formation at various rates, pressures, and/or amounts.
Further still, other wellbore servicing operations may be necessary throughout the service life of a wellbore and thereafter, for example, clean-out operations, fluid-loss control operations, a well containment operation, a well-kill operation, or the like. Similarly, such additional servicing operations may also entail introducing servicing fluids into the subterranean formation, for example, to increase production from the wellbore, to isolate a zone or segment of the subterranean formation, to cease the production of fluids from the subterranean formation, or for some other purpose.
Therefore, as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, during the life of a well, many of the operations performed with respect to a wellbore involve the introduction of various fluids into the wellbore and/or the subterranean formation. The introduction of fluids presents the opportunity for such fluids to enter the environment, such as, by mixing and/or intermingling with fluids that may be present within the formation, for example, groundwater. In addition, when wellbores are drilled into a formation beneath a body of water, such as a lake, sea, or ocean, there is also the opportunity for wellbore fluids to become mixed with that water. Thus, because wellbore fluids may come into contact with the environment, it is necessary to assess the environmental impact associated with any such fluids and/or the components thereof prior to utilizing the wellbore fluid and to ensure such fluid can safely be employed for its intended purpose.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a method and/or system for assessing the environmental impact of a wellbore servicing fluid or a component thereof.